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Hotel rewards cards are a cost-effective way to score free stays and elite status benefits at major hotel chains. If you strategize correctly, holding the right card can do more than save you money on stays. Your card can also provide perks and benefits typically only enjoyed by brand loyalists who stay dozens of nights per year with one brand.
The best co-brand hotel cards provide a high-value welcome offer as well as ways to earn plenty of points via bonus spending categories. Many also offer free night certificates on your account anniversary or when you hit a spending threshold. In addition, they typically offer elite status benefits such as room upgrades and free meals.
In this post, we take an in-depth look at some of the best co-brand hotel cards from a variety of loyalty programs and card issuers. We're benchmarking them according to both the perks they provide and their points-earning potential. Here are the ranking criteria we’ve used to determine each card’s value, including the weight given to each item:
- Welcome offer or signup bonus: 20%
- Bonus categories and earning potential: 10%
- Travel, airline, or hotel credit: 15%
- Elite status perks and benefits: 15%
- Anniversary free night certificate: 15%
- Spending threshold bonus: 5%
- Ancillary and insurance benefits: 5%
- Annual fee: 15%
Page Contents
The Best Co-Brand Credit Card for Each Hotel Loyalty Program
If you only stay with one or two hotel chains, then brand loyalty will be the key factor in your rewards card choice. However, if you are a free agent, card benefits and earning potential may substantially impact the brands you choose. In addition, the cards you choose can dictate the number of points you receive and how you are treated during your stay.
Here are the cards that made our list:
- Best card for Choice: Choice Privileges® Select Mastercard®
- Best card for Hilton: Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card
- Best card for Hyatt: The World of Hyatt Credit Card
- Best card for IHG: IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card
- Best card for Marriott: Marriott Bonvoy Business® American Express® Card
- Best card for Wyndham: Wyndham Rewards® Earner℠ Business Card
Hotel Rewards Card Details and Benefits
The World of Hyatt Credit Card
- Earn up to 60,000 Bonus Points. Earn 30,000 Bonus Points after you spend $3,000 on purchases in your first 3 months from account opening. Plus, up to 30,000 more Bonus Points by earning 2 Bonus Points total per $1 spent in the first 6 months from account opening on purchases that normally earn 1 Bonus Point, on up to $15,000 spent.
- Enjoy complimentary World of Hyatt Discoverist status for as long as your account is open.
- Get 1 free night each year after your Cardmember anniversary at any Category 1-4 Hyatt hotel or resort
- Receive 5 tier qualifying night credits towards status after account opening, and each year after that for as long as your account is open
- Earn an extra free night at any Category 1-4 Hyatt hotel if you spend $15,000 in a calendar year
- Earn 2 qualifying night credits towards tier status every time you spend $5,000 on your card
- Earn up to 9 points total for Hyatt stays - 4 Bonus Points per $1 spent on qualified purchases at Hyatt hotels & up to 5 Base Points per $1 from Hyatt as a World of Hyatt member
- Earn 2 Bonus Points per $1 spent at restaurants, on airline tickets purchased directly from the airlines, on local transit and commuting and on fitness club and gym memberships
- Member FDIC
- Rates & Fees
- Up to 9X points total per $1 spent at Hyatt - 4X points per $1 when you use your card at Hyatt hotels & 5X points per $1 you can earn as a World of Hyatt member
- 2X points per $1 spent at restaurants, on airlines tickets purchased directly from the airlines, on local transit and commuting and on fitness club and gym memberships
- 1X point per $1 everywhere else
Annual fee: $95
Welcome offer: Earn up to 60,000 Bonus Points. Earn 30,000 Bonus Points after you spend $3,000 on purchases in your first 3 months from account opening. Plus, up to 30,000 more Bonus Points by earning 2 Bonus Points total per $1 spent in the first 6 months from account opening on purchases that normally earn 1 Bonus Point, on up to $15,000 spent.
Bonus categories: Cardmembers earn 4x points at Hyatt properties and 2x points at restaurants, on airline tickets purchased directly from the airlines, on local transit and commuting, and on fitness club and gym memberships.
Elite status benefits: Receive Discoverist status and five elite night credits towards the next elite tier each year you hold the card. Additionally, get two additional elite night credits for every $5,000 spent on the card annually.
Additional benefits: One free night at any Category 1–4 Hyatt property on account anniversary each year. Earn an extra free night when you spend $15,000 in a calendar year.
Our take: Over the long term, we rank the World of Hyatt Card as the highest-value hotel rewards card available to points and miles fans today. The ability to earn elite night credits via spending that can take you all the way to Globalist status is a fantastic benefit and can help you reach top-tier status when you are short on elite night credits for the year. Most cardholders will have no problem recouping the $95 annual fee via the free night certificate, and an additional free night after $15K of spending is an added bonus.
World of Hyatt points are even more valuable for folks who hold Ultimate Rewards-earning cards. If you need additional Hyatt points for a redemption, you can transfer from Chase, and the points will post to your Hyatt account instantly.
Keep in mind that earning Ultimate Rewards cards may be a better path to Hyatt points than the World of Hyatt Card itself for certain categories of spending. For example, the Chase Sapphire Reserve® earns 3X points on travel and dining, so you should use that card for dining and non-Hyatt travel expenses. The Ink Business Cash® Credit Card earns 5X points at office supply stores (on up to $25,000 of purchases in bonus categories per year, then 1X), so you’d be better off earning 5 Ultimate Rewards than 1 Hyatt point.
Remember, you can transfer points earned from the Ink Cash to Hyatt or other partner programs if you also hold an Ultimate Rewards card with an annual fee. As with all Chase cards, the World of Hyatt Card is subject to Chase’s 5/24 policy, which you need to factor into your application strategy.
Related: World of Hyatt Card full review
Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card
- Earn 130,000 Hilton Honors Bonus Points after you spend $3,000 in purchases on the Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership.
- Get up to $50 in statement credits each quarter for purchases made directly with a property in the Hilton portfolio on your Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card. That's up to $200 in statement credits annually.
- Earn 12X Hilton Honors Bonus Points for each dollar of eligible purchases charged on your Card directly with a hotel or resort within the Hilton portfolio.
- Earn 6X Points for each dollar of purchases on your Card at U.S. restaurants, at U.S. supermarkets, and at U.S. gas stations.
- Earn 4X Points for each dollar on U.S. Online Retail Purchases.
- Earn 3X Points for all other eligible purchases on your Card.
- Earn a Free Night Reward from Hilton Honors after you spend $15,000 on eligible purchases on your Card in a calendar year.
- Enjoy complimentary Hilton Honors ™ Gold Status with your Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card.
- Spend $40,000 on eligible purchases on your Card in a calendar year and you can earn Hilton Honors™ Diamond Status through the end of the next calendar year.
- As a Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card Member, you can enroll to receive complimentary National Car Rental® Emerald Club Executive® status through the link on your American Express online account. After you're enrolled, you can reserve a rental car by calling National Car Rental directly, using your travel service, or by booking online or through the National Car Rental mobile app. Terms apply.
- No Foreign Transaction Fees. Enjoy international travel without additional fees on purchases made abroad.
- $150 annual fee.
- Apply with confidence. Know if you're approved for a Card with no impact to your credit score. If you're approved and you choose to accept this Card, your credit score may be impacted.
- Terms Apply.
- Rates & Fees
- 12X bonus points for each dollar of eligible purchases charged on your card directly with a hotel or resort within the Hilton portfolio
- 6X bonus points for each dollar of eligible purchases on your card at U.S. restaurants, U.S. supermarkets, and U.S. gas stations
- 4X bonus points on U.S online retail purchases
- 3X bonus points for all other eligible purchases on your card
Annual fee: $150 (Rates & Fees)
Welcome offer: Earn 130,000 Hilton Honors Bonus Points after you spend $3,000 in purchases on the Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership.
Bonus categories: Earn 12X Hilton Honors Bonus Points for each dollar of eligible purchases charged on your Card directly with a hotel or resort within the Hilton portfolio. Earn 6X Points for each dollar of purchases on your Card at U.S. restaurants, at U.S. supermarkets, and at U.S. gas stations. Earn 4X Points for each dollar on U.S. Online Retail Purchases. Earn 3X Points for all other eligible purchases on your Card.
Elite status benefits: Complimentary Hilton Honors Gold status; earn Diamond status when you spend $40,000 in a calendar year. Enrollment is required for select Amex benefits.
Additional benefits: A free night certificate from Hilton Honors after you spend $15,000 in a calendar year. The certificate is valid at any Hilton property except those in this (reasonably short) list of exclusions.
Our take: The Hilton Surpass features a stellar welcome offer. It also offers fantastic bonus categories for a co-branded card and an elite status level that will earn you free breakfast and potential room upgrades. Depending on your stay patterns, this card could comfortably be interchanged with the Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card.
The main caveat is that you need to extract enough value from the Hilton Aspire perks to justify its annual fee. Cardholders receive complimentary Diamond Elite status and Hilton fee and flight credits, enough to offset the $550 annual fee, but these perks require effort to maximize. Plus, the Hilton Aspire lost its Priority Pass lounge membership in October of 2023. If you only stay with Hilton a few times per year, the Hilton Surpass will likely provide a higher return than its premium counterpart, due to the lower out-of-pocket expense.
Keep in mind that Amex Membership Rewards transfer to Hilton Honors 1:2. Under the right circumstances, transferring highly valuable Amex Rewards to Hilton may be a valuable use of your points, but that's not true every day.
Related: Hilton Surpass Card full review
IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card
- Our Best Offer of 2025! Earn 5 Free Nights
- Enjoy an Anniversary Free Night at IHG Hotels & Resorts. Plus, enjoy a fourth reward night free when you redeem points for a consecutive four-night IHG® hotel stay.
- Earn up to 26 total points per $1 spent when you stay at IHG Hotels & Resorts
- Earn 5 points per $1 spent on purchases on travel, at gas stations, and restaurants. Earn 3 points per $1 spent on all other purchases
- Automatic Platinum Elite status as long as you remain a Premier cardmember
- Global Entry, TSA PreCheck® or NEXUS Statement Credit of up to $120 every 4 years as reimbursement for the application fee charged to your card
- IHG One Rewards Bonus points are redeemable at Hotels & Resorts such as InterContinental®, Crowne Plaza®, Kimpton®, EVEN® Hotels, Indigo® Hotels & Holiday Inn®
- Member FDIC
- Rates & Fees
- Earn 26 points total per $1 spent when you stay at an IHG hotel
- 5X points per $1 spent on purchases on travel, gas stations, and restaurants
- 3X points per $1 spent on all other purchases
The earning for spending at IHG hotels breaks down as follows:
- Earn 10X points for being a IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card member
- Earn 6X points from IHG® with Platinum Elite Status, a benefit of having this card
- Earn 10X points from IHG® for being an IHG® One Rewards member (Being a cardholder is not required to earn this bonus for participating in the IHG® loyalty program)
Annual fee: $99
Welcome offer: Earn 5 Free Nights after spending $5,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
Bonus categories: Earn up to 26 total points per $1 spent when you stay at IHG Hotels & Resorts. Earn 5 points per $1 spent on purchases on travel, at gas stations, and restaurants. Earn 3 points per $1 spent on all other purchases.
Elite status benefits: Receive IHG Rewards Platinum Elite status (or Diamond Elite once you spend $40,000 each calendar year).
Additional benefits: Anniversary free night certificate valid at IHG properties costing up to 40,000 points per night. Cardholders may top off the certs with points from their account balance to redeem at properties worth more than 40,000 points. Get a fourth night free when you redeem points for four or more consecutive nights. Receive a $100 statement credit and 10,000 bonus points each calendar year you spend at least $20,000 on purchases. Receive a Global Entry, TSA PreCheck, or NEXUS application fee credit every four years, worth up to $120. Save 20% on points purchases, and receive $50 of United TravelBank credit annually.
Our take: We rank this card's free night certificate as one of the best available, due to many factors. IHG boasts a massive global footprint, an abundance of mid-tier hotels, and you can extend an anniversary free night award's value by topping it up with points. The card provides a balanced array of perks for the $99.
The biggest drawback is that IHG's Platinum Elite status doesn’t quite measure up to mid-tier status with other hotel brands. Still, late checkout, 60% more points on paid stays, and occasional room upgrades are certainly better than nothing. IHG also offers a no-annual-fee card for folks who don’t want to pay the annual fee of the IHG One Rewards Premier Card.
The IHG One Rewards Premier Card is subject to Chase’s 5/24 policy, plus your application won't be approved if you currently hold an IHG card or you've received a bonus on one in the last 24 months.
Related: IHG One Rewards Premier Card full review
Marriott Bonvoy Business® American Express® Card
- WELCOME OFFER: Earn 3 Free Night Awards after you use your new Card to make $6,000 in eligible purchases within the first 6 months of Card Membership. Each Free Night Award has a redemption level up to 50,000 Marriott Bonvoy® points, for a total potential value of up to 150,000 points, at hotels participating in Marriott Bonvoy®. Certain hotels have resort fees. Terms apply.
- Receive a 7% discount on eligible bookings as a benefit of being both a Marriott Bonvoy® member & a Marriott Bonvoy Business® American Express® Card Member when you book directly with Marriott through an eligible channel for a participating property under the Amex Business Card Rate.
- 6x Marriott Bonvoy points on each dollar of eligible purchases at hotels participating in the Marriott Bonvoy® program.
- 4x points for purchases made at restaurants worldwide, at U.S. gas stations, on wireless telephone services purchased directly from U.S. service providers and on U.S. purchases for shipping.
- 2x points on all other eligible purchases.
- Receive 1 Free Night Award every year after your Card renewal month. Plus, earn an additional Free Night Award after you spend $60K in purchases on your Card in a calendar year. Award can be used for one night (redemption level at or under 35,000 Marriott Bonvoy® points) at hotels participating in Marriott Bonvoy®. Certain hotels have resort fees.
- Enjoy Complimentary Marriott Bonvoy Gold Elite Status with your Marriott Bonvoy Business® American Express® Card.
- Terms apply.
- Rates & Fees
- 6x Marriott Bonvoy points on each dollar of eligible purchases at hotels participating in the Marriott Bonvoy® program.
- 4x Marriott Bonvoy points on each dollar of eligible purchases made at restaurants worldwide, at U.S. gas stations, on wireless telephone services purchased directly from U.S. service providers and on U.S. purchases for shipping
- 2x Marriott Bonvoy Business® American Express® Card points per dollar on all other eligible purchases
Annual fee: $125 (Rates & Fees)
Welcome offer: Earn 3 Free Night Awards after you use your new Card to make $6,000 in eligible purchases within the first 6 months of Card Membership.
Bonus categories: Earn 6x points at hotels participating in the Marriott Bonvoy® program, 4x points for purchases made at restaurants worldwide, at U.S. gas stations, on wireless telephone services purchased directly from U.S. service providers and on U.S. purchases for shipping, and 2x points on all other eligible purchases.
Elite status benefits: You'll get ongoing Gold Elite status each year. You also receive 15 elite night credits towards the next elite status tier each year. If you also hold the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card, the 15 elite night credits from this card stack with the 25 earned on that card for 40 Marriott Elite Nights Credits each year.
Additional benefits: Anniversary free-night award valid at any Marriott Bonvoy property up to the value of 35,000 points, plus the ability to add up to 15,000 points to your free night.
Our take: Most folks point to the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card as the sweet spot for Marriott co-branded cards. Instead, we take application strategy and annual fees into account, making the Marriott Bonvoy Business Card a better card to target.
Because this is a business card, it won’t count toward your 5/24 status with Chase. In other words, opening this card won’t make it harder to get Chase cards for the subsequent two years. If you don’t have the full lineup of Chase cards you want, this card is a great option. You can open it and still fill your 5/24 slots with Ultimate Rewards-earning cards. Additionally, if you are already over 5/24 (meaning you’re ineligible for Chase cards), you can still get this card since it’s issued by Amex.
Wyndham Rewards® Earner℠ Business Card
- 8X points on Hotels by Wyndham and gas purchases
- 5X points on marketing, advertising, and utility purchases
- 1X on all other purchases (excluding Wyndham timeshare down payments)
Annual fee: $95
Welcome offer: Earn 50,000 bonus points after spending $4,000 on purchases in the first 90 days and 25,000 bonus points after spending $12,000 on purchases within the first 365 days.
Bonus categories: Earn 8X on Hotels by Wyndham and gas purchases, 5X on marketing, advertising, and utility purchases, plus 1X on all other purchases (excluding Wyndham timeshare down payments).
Elite status benefits: Complimentary top-tier Diamond status.
Additional benefits: Receive 15,000 bonus points every account anniversary.
Our take: While Wyndham Rewards isn't the most famous hotel loyalty program, its footprint is huge. And only two hotel cards provide automatic top-tier elite status; this is the only one with an annual fee under $500, however. Paying just $95 annually for top status and enough free points for a free night at a mid-tier property or two nights at a lower-tier property is solid value.
Other perks include impressive earnings on gas purchases and a 10% discount on the number of points needed for free hotel nights.
Choice Privileges® Select Mastercard®
- Apply Now to take advantage of this offer and learn more about product features, terms and conditions.
- Earn 60,000 bonus points when you spend $3,000 in purchases in the first 3 months - enough to redeem for up to 7 reward nights at select Choice Hotels® properties. Additional fees may apply.
- Earn 10X points on stays at participating Choice Hotels® properties.
- Earn 5X points on purchases at gas stations, grocery stores, home improvement stores and on phone plan services. Plus earn 1X points on other purchases.
- $95 annual fee.
- Up to $800 of cell phone protection against damage or theft. Subject to a $25 deductible.
- Receive 20 Elite night credits qualifying for at least Platinum level status each calendar year.
- No foreign transaction fee.
- 10x points on stays at participating Choice Hotels® properties plus on Choice Privileges point purchases
- 5x points on purchases at gas stations, grocery stores, home improvement stores, and on phone plan services
- 1x points on other purchases
Annual fee: $95
Welcome offer: Earn 60,000 bonus points when you spend $3,000 in purchases in the first 3 months - enough to redeem for up to 7 reward nights at select Choice Hotels® properties. Additional fees may apply.
Bonus categories: Earn 10x on stays at participating Choice Hotels® properties and Choice Privileges point purchases, 5x on purchases at gas stations, grocery stores, home improvement stores, and phone plan services, plus 1x on other purchases.
Elite status benefits: Complimentary Platinum Elite status
Additional benefits: Earn 30,000 bonus points every account anniversary.
Our take: We’re going out on a limb here and assuming the majority of U.S.-based points and miles fans don’t have this card foremost in their minds. If you crunch the numbers, however, this card stacks up pretty well. You'll enjoy complimentary Platinum Elite status and a solid earning rate on Choice Hotels spending. Additionally, you'll earn 30,000 bonus points every account anniversary — easily justifying the annual fee.
It's true: Choice Privileges points aren't as valuable as those from Hyatt or Marriott. But Choice award nights price as low as 8,000 points per night and only top out at 30,000 points per night. And then there are the Sweet Spot Rewards for discounted redemptions.
Choice Privileges hotels are plentiful in some regions with limited options from the big hotel brands. For example, in New Zealand, Choice is prevalent, but Hilton and Marriott only have a few properties.
Alternatives to Hotel Co-Brand Rewards Cards
While points and miles fans can extract a ton of value from co-brand hotel cards, they are not the only way to get free nights in hotels.
- Fixed-value rewards: Fixed-value points are a great way of wiping out the cost of accommodation. This includes both hotels that don’t participate in major loyalty programs and vacation rentals like Airbnb. You can earn fixed-value points with cards like the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card or U.S. Bank Altitude™ Reserve Visa Infinite® Card.
- Flexible rewards: A handful of flexible rewards programs offer high-value transfers to hotel loyalty programs. For instance, Chase Ultimate Rewards points transfer to Hyatt, Marriott, and IHG while Amex Membership Rewards points transfer to Choice, Hilton, and Marriott.
Final Thoughts
Hotel rewards cards can be a key part of your points and miles strategy. In most cases, free-night certificates, annual-points bonuses, and elite status easily cover the annual fees. Perks like these making many hotel cards easy to keep for the long term.
Determining which hotel cards provide the most value can be tricky. We recommend working backward from your travel goals. Let the destination dictate the hotel chains available to you before you decide on an application strategy. And don’t overlook the benefits of utilizing online travel agencies such as Hotels.com. Tools like it can potentially provide better returns than traditional hotel loyalty programs when you swipe the right credit card at checkout.
Got a favorite hotel card we didn't cover? We would love to hear from you in the comments.
For rates and fees of the cards mentioned in this post, please visit the following links: The World of Hyatt Credit Card (Rates & Fees), Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card (Rates & Fees), IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card (Rates & Fees), and Marriott Bonvoy Business® American Express® Card (Rates & Fees)
The comments on this page are not provided, reviewed, or otherwise approved by the bank advertiser. It is not the bank advertiser's responsibility to ensure all posts and/or questions are answered.
